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Free programming offered Saturday for weather radios

PLYMOUTH — The Marshall County Emergency Management is teaming up with Walgreen’s and the Marshall County Amateur Radio Club to participate in the NOAA Weather/All Hazards Alert Radio Programming Day this Saturday.

The event is a repeat from past years, in which people who own a weather radio can bring it to the Michigan Street Walgreen’s to have it programmed.

“We don’t have the ability to put warning sirens in every location in Marshall County, Clyde Avery, Emergency Management director, said. “The down side to sirens is that they warn people who are outside to seek shelter, but don’t give them specifics about the kind of emergency..”
Volunteers to provide this free service will be available from 7 a.m. - 12 p.m. The Walgreen’s is located at 2014 N. Michigan St.

In addition to receiving weather warning information, the NOAA Weather/All Hazard Alert Radios are capable of receiving other types of warning information approved by the Department of Homeland Security, Avery said in a press release announcing the event. These messages include those sent by local and state Emergency Operations Centers authorized to disseminate warnings on the National Weather Radio operational frequencies.

NOAA Weather/All Hazard Alert Radio is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from the National Weather Service office in Northern Indiana. The National Weather Service broadcasts official Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Specific Area Message Encoding Technology (S.A.M.E.) allows the radio to be programmed to filter National Weather Service broadcasts of warnings and emergency alerts for a selected geographic area.

For information on severe weather preparedness or preparing for any other types of hazards that may occur in Marshall County, contact the Marshall County Emergency Management Agency at 936-3740.